Gothamist Spring Guide: 20 Marvelous Things To Do In May
21 photos
<br/><br/>There's so much happening this May! We tried to plug it all into our phone's calendar apps, but they crashed due to lack of memory. Sad! Thankfully, all you need to know is right here, and May in New York City is looking extra vibrant thanks to mermaid dance parties, food festivals, live acrobat shows and more. Let's plan out our lives together for the next four weeks.
Paul Ker/flickr<br/><br/>Describing the style of Polish-born artist Goshka Macuga isn't easy. Her <strong><a href="http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/goshka-macuga">upcoming large-scale show at the New Museum</a></strong> is said to "problematize the ways in which different organizations engage their publics and are shaped by socioeconomic and cultural developments in society." Unscrambled, that means Macuga's pieces skew toward the unsettling and use a wide range of materials. You'll see giant taupe sculptures, mannequins in formal dress suspended above furniture, and a table shaped like Lord Byron. There'll be tiny handmade objects, wall-sized photographs, and TVs playing who knows what. <br/><br/>Recent years have seen Macuga using woven tapestries meant to conjure up moments of public assembly and the clash of ideas. All of this means you should most definitely take in her weird, cool work and figure it out for yourself.<em>Opens Wednesday, May 4th // <a href="http://www.newmuseum.org/">New Museum</a>, 235 Bowery, Manhattan // <a href="https://buy.acmeticketing.com/orders/177/calendar?eventId=54dd1260e4b04334833fe94e&cart">Admission $16</a></em>
Goshka Macuga (via New Museum facebook)<br/><br/>The son of Mr. "Don't Worry Be Happy" himself, Taylor McFerrin makes much more introspective music than his father. Fusing instrumental hip-hop, icy jazz chords, and seductive R&B vocals, his <em>Early Riser</em> LP was one of the best indie releases of 2014. Since the album dropped, McFerrin has been touring the world non-stop and early this month <strong><a href="http://www.roughtradenyc.com/event/1123689-taylor-mcferrin-brooklyn">he'll drop by Rough Trade Records</a></strong> to deliver a set that'll have you swooning. If you're a fan of solo walks on rainy evenings and lazy weekend mornings with coffee, sunlight, and records, then McFerrin will have you feeling some kind of way.<br/><br/><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/143556987&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br/><br/><em>Wednesday, May 4th, 8 p.m. // <a href="http://www.roughtradenyc.com/">Rough Trade NYC</a>, 64 N 9th Street, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00005067BF154008?brand=bowery">Tickets $15-17</a> </em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Actors, dancers, and acrobats will offer up an eye-splitting display at <em>La Verita</em>, which makes <a href="http://www.bam.org/theater/2016/la-verita">its formal American debut at BAM early this month.</a> An homage to Salvador Dali's world of surrealism, the show operates as a kind of live-action dream in which rhinos juggle and wine corks fall from the sky like rain. La Verita's backdrop is a replica of an actual Dali painting of Tristan and Isolde, made for a 1944 Metropolitan Opera Ballet, but it's safe to say this present-day show is going to be something far, far stranger. <br/><br/><em>Runs Wednesday-Saturday, May 4-7th; all shows at 7:30 p..m. // <a href="http://www.bam.org/visit/venues/howard-gilman-opera-house">BAM Howard Gilman Opera House</a>, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn // <a href="http://commerce.bam.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=11043">Tickets $25-80</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Bruce Davidson has created some of the most unsettling, tender, and, at times, hilarious images in the history of street photography. All his life, the Magnum Photos legend has drawn upon an almost supernatural gift for portraits, and his shots of New York City throughout the late 20th Century showcase it as a place pushed to its breaking point, and yet, ready to pose. For two years in the late 60s, Davidson returned to the same Harlem block over and over, capturing the residents of East 100th Street in and out of their homes. The photos he produced in those years are at times stunning and soothing, hilarious and sad. It's everything photography should be.<br/><br/>Davidson will sit down and chat a while with actor Matt Dillon, who is an avid collector and admirer of his work. It's happening at the hallowed halls of the New York Public Library and should prove to be, well, everything.<br/><br/><em>Wednesday, May 4th, 7 p.m. // <a href="http://www.nypl.org/">New York Public Library</a>, 5th Avenue at 42nd Street, Manhattan // <a href="https://www.showclix.com/events/706/tag/nyplwebsite">Tickets $25</a> </em>
via facebook<br/><br/>If roving, immersive theater is your bag, ride a ferry along with the cast of <strong><a href="http://www.portcitiesproject.org/">Port Cities</a></strong>, which will make their New York debut this month as they make the trip from Pier 11 in the Financial District to Red Hook via the Waterfront Museum Barge. The play itself is a ghost story centered around a young woman, meant to distort your notions of memory, place, family, and death. This year, <em>Port Cities</em> productions are also taking place in Jakarta, Cape Town, Amsterdam, and Perth in a global harkening back to long-lost Dutch trade routes. The New York date marks the kick-off of the entire project, and will be a rare chance to take in genre-bending performance as you retrace paths that changed the world forever.<br/><br/><em>Runs May 5-12th; <a href="https://www.artful.ly/store/events/8609">Showtimes vary</a> // <a href="http://www.nywaterway.com/Pier11WallStTerminal.aspx">Pier 11</a>, South Street and Gouverneur Lane, Manhattan // <a href="https://www.artful.ly/store/events/8609">Tickets $20-27</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>The sixth annual <strong><a href="http://nycvegfoodfest.com/">Vegetarian Food Festival</a></strong> welcomes "flexitarians" (i.e., meat-eaters), vegetarians, and vegans alike to sample some of the cityâs best plant-based foodsâkeep in mind, itâs technically a vegetarian event, but most of the offerings will be vegan. Promising over 120 exhibitors and vendors, activity stations for kids, and lectures including "Will Travel For Vegan Food," the fest may convince you to never eat an animal againâor to at least refrain from doing so over the weekend. If you want to skip the lectures and just taste the food, you can buy a $5 end-of-day admission ticket beginning at 4:00 p.m. <em>(Gaby Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8th; 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. // <a href="http://www.metropolitanevents.com/">Metropolitan Pavilion</a>, 125 W. 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues // <a href="https://chirrpy.com/events/nycvff/">Tickets $32-53</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Learn how to tell the difference between a paddle and an oar at this year's <strong><a href="http://bronxriver.org/flotilla">Bronx River Flotilla</a></strong>, a 5 mile canoe journey across the borough's namesake waterway. As always, the event is a fundraiser for the <a href="http://bronxriver.org/">Bronx River Alliance</a> and helps make it possible for them to bring hundreds of kids and their families on outdoor river adventures each summer, and who's to say <em>you</em> couldn't do with a bit more outdoor river adventure, too? <a href="http://bronxriver.org/flotilla">Check their website</a> for information on how to get on the list, and get ready to hit the open water.<br/><br/><em>Saturday, May 7th (Meets at 8:30 a.m.) // <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/kayak/43">Shoelace Park</a>, 219th Street and Bronx Boulevard // <a href="http://bronxriver.org/flotilla">Register here</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Okay. Fine. Do it. Go to the first-ever <strong><a href="http://microapp.villagevoice.com/brunch-eats/2016/">Brunch Eats</a></strong> gathering and feast on delicious fruit-covered waffles, soft-boiled farm fresh eggs, and quiches stuffed with delicious goat cheese. Cover it all with smoked-chipotle hollandaise sauce. Wash it all down with harissa bloody marys and refreshing yuzu mimosas and bottomless fresh-roasted coffee from all the corners of the Earth. Brunch may be <a href="http://gothamist.com/2013/10/24/the_only_good_brunch_is_a_dead_brun.php">this city's biggest culinary boondoggle</a>, but that doesn't mean we haven't been known to indulge in it ourselves. But take note: the night is a "breakfast-for-dinner" affair, and so you're going to be savoring all that morning grub in the middle of a Wednesday night. And yeah, we agree, that's not really a problem.<br/><br/><em>Wednesday, May 11th, 8-11 p.m. // <a href="http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/">The Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum</a>, 12th Avenue and 46th Street // <a href="http://microapp.villagevoice.com/brunch-eats/2016/tickets.php">Tickets $60-85</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>One of the greatest documentaries on Gospel music ever made, <strong><a href="http://bronxdoc.org/events"><em>Rejoice and Shout</em> is screening at the Bronx Documentary Center</a></strong>. And if your only mental image of Gospel music is that of a large, robed, bellowing choir, this will enlighten you. Gospel as we know it today dates back over 200 years and is as troubled and soft-spoken as it is bold. Featuring performance and interviews from Smokey Robinson, Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, and more, the film takes a deep look at black faith, music, and tradition in America, and is being shown in conjunction with the Documentary Center's ongoing photography exhibition of Nina Robinson's <em><a href="http://bronxdoc.org/exhibitions">Not Forgotten; An Arkansas Family Album</a></em>.<br/><br/><em>Thursday, May 12th, 7 p.m. // <a href="http://bronxdoc.org/">Bronx Documentary Center</a>, 614 Courtlandt Avenue, the Bronx // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1134195439957820/">Suggested donation $5-10</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>The works of artists Liz Craft, Rochelle Goldberg, Elizabeth Jaeger, Maggie Lee, and Win McCarthy will coalesce at The Whitney this month in an exhibition entitled <strong><a href="http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/MirrorCells">"Mirror Cells"</a></strong>. The title references the mirror neurons of the human brain, which are associated with human empathy. <br/><br/>In the past, these artists have created works that communicate with one another, "alluding to furniture or other functional items, in order to generate a broader context that extends beyond their individual physical forms." The artists' works will create a surreal landscape, weaving in and out of both personal and broad social themes. The featured works, which have largely been made in response to death and larger social issues, will aim to evoke in viewers the same feelings that went into their conception. (Kellylouise Delaney)<br/><br/><em>May 13th - August 21st, Hours vary // <a href="http://whitney.org/">Whitney Museum of American Art</a>, 99 Gansevoort Street, Manhattan // <a href="http://whitney.org/Visit">Tickets Free-$22</a></em>
<br/><br/>Party Like It's 1986 will be a jam-packed dance party centered around the music of Prince, Pet Shop Boys, Prince, Madonna, Prince, Janet Jackson, and also Prince. It's a night of pop, rock, funk, and new wave that's completely free to get into and that's really all there is to it. See you there, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoRciHHeFh4">Girls and Boys</a>.<br/><br/><em>Friday, May 13th, 10 p.m. // The Bell House, 149 7th Street, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.thebellhouseny.com/event/1142381-party-like-it-s-1986-brooklyn/">Free</a></em>
<br/><br/>You might be finishing up your Star Wars Finn/Poe slash romance story, or you might just be looking for a good, weird laugh. Either way, you should stop by <strong><a href="http://www.unionhallny.com/event/1159853-competitive-erotic-fan-fiction-brooklyn/">Union Hall's Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction</a></strong> night, because if we can't write a detailed sex scene about Miss Piggy getting hot and bothered by Gonzo's nose then all of Jim Henson's work was just a waste (where did you <em>THINK</em> the Muppet Babies came from, huh?). The night of live comedy will feature comics writing steamy short stories with the help of audience suggestions, and venerable organ of FanFic criticism <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/pictures/listen-up-the-20-best-comedy-podcasts-right-now-20140508/20-competitive-erotic-fan-fiction-0322777">Rolling Stone can assure you</a>, "the gross jokes transcend porn mechanics to become a titillating delight."<br/><br/><em>Sunday, May 15th, 7:30 p.m. // <a href="http://www.unionhallny.com/">Union Hall</a>, 702 Union Street, Brooklyn // <a href="https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1159853?_ga=1.99847774.1501827745.1459190412&__utma=1.238110716.1459190412.1461609689.1461874942.4&__utmb=1.1.10.1461874942&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1461609689.3.2.utmcsr=gothamist.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/2015/04/30/may_events_nyc.php&__utmv=-&__utmk=160124605">Tickets $10</a></em>
<br/><br/>Bushwick's rebooted <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/house-of-yes">House of Yes</a> has, in only a few months, become the borough's mecca for partiers in search of a beautifully strange time, and they'll be letting their hair down and slipping into some glittering scales for <strong><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-mermaid-lagoon-ocean-benefit-variety-show-dance-party-tickets-24843136490">Mermaid Lagoon</a></strong>. It'll be an undersea-themed dance night with dancers floating high above the stage as "ocean dreamscapes" get projected on the walls. Heavy dance beats, plenty of drink options, a costume contest, games, prizes, and a variety show hosted by House of Yes's staff will round out the night, will proceeds going to Billion Oyster Project and Orca Network, the latter of which is working to retire <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_(orca)">Lolita the orca</a> to a natural sea-pen after decades of life in captivity in Miami.<br/><br/><em>Sunday, May 15th, 8 p.m. // <a href="http://houseofyes.org/">House of Yes</a>, 2 Wyckoff Avenue, Brooklyn // <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-mermaid-lagoon-ocean-benefit-variety-show-dance-party-tickets-24843136490">Tickets $12-44</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Immerse yourself in a unique voice of the modern South at <a href="http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com/event/1074529-adia-victoria-new-york">Adia Victoria's NYC tour stop this month</a>. Adia grew up in South Carolina and first picked up the guitar at the age of 21. Since then she's spent time in Atlanta, Nashville, Paris, Germany, and New York. She resides in Nashville now, where she and three friends compose music with elements of both rock and country, of a texture simultaneously wise, haunting, and lively.Thematically, her music deals largely with feeling stuck, travel as a lifeline, beauty in nature, hope for better days, and loneliness. You don't need to be from the South to connect with the sadly truthful, dreamy soul of this stuff.<br/><br/><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/151745895&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br/><br/><em>Thursday, May 19th, 6:30 p.m. // <a href="http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com/">Mercury Lounge</a>, 217 E. Houston Street, Manhattan // <a href="http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com/event/1074529-adia-victoria-new-york">Tickets $10-$12</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Put your trust in one of the <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/events">Obscura Society's</a> "field agents" and take a trip to Sleepy Hollow for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1697630623831349/">Murder and Mayhem</a>, a tour of the Cemetery that will educate you on some of the grislier "incidents" that have happened on its grounds. The site that inspired Washington Irving's classic "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" may not actually serve as home to a headless horseman, but as you walk along a path lit by gas lanterns you'll meet plenty of murderous souls (who are luckily now 6 feet under). The tour's organizers make it their mission to be deeply knowledgeable about these things, and will even stage a live grave robbery to illustrate the depths of man's depravity.<br/><br/><em>Friday, May 20th, 7:10 p.m. // Departs from Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan // <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/events/ny-murder-and-mayhem-sleepy-hollow-2016">Tickets $35</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Harlem's finest fare will be on display at <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/harlemeatup">Harlem EatUp!'s</a> <a href="http://harlemeatup.com/the-saturday-stroll-presented-by-citi/">Saturday Stroll</a>. The event includes a market where you can purchase specialty food from local eateries, a Kids' Zone with hands-on activities, live music from DJ <a href="https://soundcloud.com/dj-stormin-norman">Stormin Norman</a>, and culinary demonstrations from various celebrity chefs including <a href="http://chefaaronsanchez.com/">Aaron Sanchez</a> and <a href="http://www.melbasrestaurant.com/">Melba Wilson</a>. <br/><br/>Entrance to the market is free, but purchasing tickets gets you all the food, beer, wine, and cocktails your body can handle, with the proceeds benefitting the four parks of Historic Harlem Parks coalition. Vendors including Sylvia's Harlem Restaurant, Red Rooster, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and more will be serving up soul food all afternoon.<em> (Gaby Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>Saturday, May 21st, 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. // <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/morningside-park">Morningside Park</a>, 112th Street at Manhattan Avenue // <a href="http://harlemeatup.com/the-saturday-stroll-presented-by-citi/">Tickets $80</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>You've seen the murals all over town and so now you know it's time to get down. Each year, Red Bull Music Academy's festival crowds the city with some of the most talented and inventive minds on the planet, and this year is no exception. The "fest," in truth, is more of a multi-borough convention. You'll be able to catch hip-hop beatmaker legend Madlib giving a talk at the Grolier Club just as easily as you will jazz saxophone stars Kamasi Washington and Pharoah Sanders jamming together. Amidst it all there'll be hot-ticket DJ nights, music production clinics, and plenty of other treats. Our best advice? Pick a few names you've never heard of and arrive with open mind. RBMA never disappoints.<br/><br/><em>Festival runs April 29th through May 22nd, venues and showtimes vary // <a href="http://nyc.redbullmusicacademy.com/events">Info and tickets here</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>He might sound just a bit too much like Justin Timberlake, but honestly, is that a bad thing? Detroit R&B singer <a href="http://iamjmsn.com/">JMSN</a> has been steadily amassing a cult following thanks to his silky voice, on-point neo soul productions and a batch of YouTube videos that are just...<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyWtzINmfDI">bizarre</a>. His debut LP "It Is." will drop on May 6th, and early tracks point to it being an irresistible bit of work, one that will have you chuckling here and there but mostly just head-nodding like mad. His single "Cruel Intentions" coasts on slow D'Angelo style drums and thanks to his monumental vocal talent, that comparison isn't nearly as effusive as it seems. Catch <strong><a href="http://lpr.com/lpr_events/jmsn-may-26th-2016/">JMSN live at Le Poisson Rouge</a></strong> late this month and decide for yourself just how it feels.<br/><br/><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/249560580&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br/><br/><em>Thursday, may 26th, 8:30 p.m. // <a href="http://lpr.com/">Le Poussin Rouge</a>, 158 Bleecker Street, Manhattan // <a href="http://lpr.com/lpr_events/jmsn-may-26th-2016/">Tickets $15-18</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Enjoy some unique outdoor time at this year's kickoff event for the Bronx Museum of the Arts' summer <a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/events/boogie-on-the-boulevard-summer-sundays_3">Boogie on the Boulevard series</a>. Grand Concourse's center lanes will be closed to cars and open to pedestrians for four hours on the last Sunday of each month, beginning on May 29th. When else will you be able to freely walk across a major street without getting hit by a car? This month's lineup hasn't been announced yet, but last year's Boogie included spoken word performances, fitness classes including zumba and children's yoga, and Grand Concourse walking tours. Admission is free to both Boogie and the museum.<br/><br/><em>Sunday, May 29th, 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. // <a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/">Bronx Museum of the Arts</a>, 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx // <a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/visit">Free</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>If all you know about Kitty Genovese's murder is a few references in <em><a href="http://gothamist.com/2016/04/04/girls_recap_hello_kitty.php">GIRLS</a></em>, then you can school yourself on one of New York City's most infamous crimes when <strong><a href="http://www.ifccenter.com/films/the-witness/">IFC Center screens <em>The Witness</em></a></strong> late this month. Genovese was murdered outside her Kew Gardens apartment in 1964, and although her death quickly became synonymous with "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect">The Bystander Effect</a>," her brother's new film <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3266599/Brother-Kitty-Genovese-28-year-old-brutally-raped-stabbed-death-New-York-City-1964-says-screams-help-NOT-ignored-case-poster-crime-bystander-apathy.html">questions the established narrative</a> that dozens of neighbors did nothing as she was slain. Part true crime film, part cathartic documentary, it's an expertly-made look into one of NYC's most horrible and fascinating stories.<br/><br/><em>Tuesday, May 31st, 7:30 p.m. // <a href="http://www.ifccenter.com/">IFC Center</a>, 323 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan // <a href="https://www.movietickets.com/pre_purchase.asp?house_id=9598&movie_id=228754&rdate=5/31/2016">Tickets $13-16</a></em>
via facebook